National Republican., 1887-12-07
GENERAL GARLAND
Submits a Report OF the Work ofSthe
Denartment of JnstIoe.

SUBMITS Report OF the WORK otrthe
Department of Justice.
The annual report OF Attorney General
Garland was given out yesterday. The
number of ordinary suits now pending in
the court Of claims is /, lilo, involving the
sum Of $13, ,250,000. The number OF cases
filed under the Bowman actis 1910, involv
ing about $50, 600 900.
The petitions filed In the French spoll,
ton cases number $3.50, representing 1856
vessels, and about $50, 100000. The amount
reported IN favor Of claimants IN eighty
one Of these cases passed upon is about
1926, 600, VARYING in sums from $664O to
S45, ,3lS GO.
During the last fiscal year 1,777 civilsults
were terminated. In 022 Of these judg
ments were for the United States, 10 102
for the defendants, and 703 were either
mol pros, dismisted, or discontinued; 20
were appealed from the district to the
circuit court, and "a from the circuit court
to the Supreme Court. Many OF the civil
suits reported mol pros, dismissed, or
discontinued were settled by authority OF
the Treasury Department, and discontinued
under It's direction. There were pending
July 3,054 civil suits In which the United
States was party. During the year there
were 12,007 criminal prosecutions, mostly
for violations Of customs and internal reve.
nue. lave.
The aggregate amount OF judgments rem.
dered In favor Of the United States in civil
suits during the last year was 81 ,05l $50,
| ana the amount actually collected on those
| judgments was $152, ,55S, while $40 67S was
| obtained during the year on Judgments rem.
| dered in former years for the United
| States, and S240,220 was otherwise realized
| In civil suits.
The Attorney General urges an appro.
p,fotiOn fpr thp arpptinn Dn tha yrnuul
| adjacent to the Department OF Justice OF
| suitable building for the Accommodation of
| the Supreme Court and other courts and
| commissioners of the United States. He
| also asks that, In order TO complete the list
| of the galleries Of men who h We been
conspicuous in the public service, Con-
| gress provide fof furnishing portraits OF the
| iudges Of he Supreme Court to adorn the
| chambers Of that court. He also urges q
| reorganization OF the Department OF Jus
| tice in accordance with the increased amount
and important character Of its business,
and in closing bis report deyotes q chapter
to the consideration OF the French spolii-
ton act, in regard to which he says; "ln
order that the demands OF justice may be
satisfactorily met, the antiquity of the
transactions, the difficulty Of the questions
Of vieilant, exhaustive, iu-
dicial investigation. |, therefore, recon.
| mend The passage OF an act anendatory OF
the act OF Both OF January, 1885, which sh al
7; confer authority upon the court OF claims
to render judgment in caaes provided for
by the act instead of reporting their con.
illusions to Congress as now required to do,
and to grant to either party, the govern.
ment or claimant, the right Of appeal to the
Supreme Court Of the United States from
the decision Of the court Of claims on suits
filed under the act of 1885.
ta ,,Nt, oIah Il. hat ait thar I'm
ment or claimant will find It necessary to
resort to appeals In more than few cases,
as, In them, the question Of novelty and
difficulty arising in this class Of cases would
be adiudicated, but as the law now stands
no appeal can be taken by either party"